Wall fixtures and method



July 6;, 1 3965 E. J. BAUER WALL FIXTURES AND METHOD Filed 6. 1961 7 1mm EDWARD J BAUER E a, w w; u n ll Md. a.

Fig. 3.

Affovrlcy United States Patent 3,192,667 W'ALL FlXTURE AND METHQD Edward 3. Bauer, 1021 E. Michigan St, indianapolis, ind. Filed Nov. 6, B61, Ser. No. 159,490 2 Claims. (Cl. 5il22) This invention relates generally to the finishing of building interiors and more particularly to fixtures for installation on a tile wall and a method for the installation thereof.

In the building and interior decorating business, considerable attention has been directed to the provision of attractive, functional, and inexpensive fixtures for use in rooms having paneled or tiled walls, most frequently bathrooms, showers, and wash rooms. Over the years, a wide variety of fixtures have appeared. Most of these fixtures have consisted of a bracket which is mounted to the wall surface or sub-surface by means of screws, nails or other fasteners. Subsequent to installation of the bracket, a tile must be cut and fitted around the bracket. Then the remaining portion of the fixture which is exposed to view and performs the necessary function such as carrying a towel, is mounted to the exposed portion of the bracket. Such assemblies are usually made of metallic materials. Other fixtures are made of ceramicswhich are bonded to the wall surface.

The disadvantages of the fixtures available heretofore include the necessity of numerous separate operations in order to provide an installation. These operations include fastening of the bracket to the wall sub-surface, cutting and fitting tile, ascertaining that the bracket is properly oriented horizontally and vertically, and mounting the external supporting member to the bracket. A specific disadvantage of the ceramic fixtures, is the necessity of careful handling thereof both prior to and during installation, the possible failure thereof after installation, and difiiculty of the placement thereof.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide an improved wall fixture and method of installation thereof.

It is a still further object of this inventon to provide a wall fixture of attractive design, inexpensive construction, and which can be easily installed.

it is a still further object to provide fixture having the foregoing characteristics and having the additional features of high mechanical strength and durability.

Described briefly, the invention includes a faceplate which is typically rectangular in form and of a size such that the inner margins thereof are of substantially the same dimension as a wall tile. Rearwardly exending fences join the faceplate at the inner margins thereof. The fences extend rearwardiy a distance approximately equal to the thickness of a wall tile. At the rear margins of the fences there are flanges extending in a plane parallel to the faceplate and extending inwardly toward each other. A recess is thereby provided in the unit to receive a wall tile. A suitable member such as a paper holder, a water tumbler and toothbrush holder, a towel support, or a soap holder, is secured to the faceplate and may be an integral part thereof if desired.

In the method of installation, an opening is provided in the finished tiled wall surface which is of a size adequate to receive one additional tile. The additional tile is inserted in the recess in the fixture of this invention. Mastic or other suitable adhesive may be applied to the unfinished face of the tile or to the unfinished wall surface within the opening provided, whereupon the entire assembly of the fixture and tile may he securedto the wall, with the faceplate overlying the adjacent tiles.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and the claims.

"ice

FIG. 1 is a front view of a fixture according to this invention and particularly intended for provision of a soap holder and a grab bar, showing the unit installed in a finished tile wall.

FIG. 2 is a section through the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 taken along the lines 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment intended as a paper holder assembly, showing the unit uninstalled. FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3. Referring to the figures, an unfinished wall surface such as, for example, plaster board or the like, 11, has a plurality of adjacent pieces 12 of tile or the like secured thereto by an adhesive such as mastic, grout, or other suitable adhesive. Fixture 14 includes the faceplate 16, which is generally square in form in order to conform to the square tile used. The faceplate has an outer margin 17 and an inner margin 18 spaced therefrom whereby the faceplate borders the tile 19 on all sides and forms a frame around the tile.

A fence 2-1 is secured to the faceplate at the inner margin thereof and extends rearwardly a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the tile 19. At the rear margin 22 of the fence, a flange 23 is mounted and extends inwardly toward the center of the opening in whichthe tile .19 is disposed. The flange 23 lies in a plane parallel to that of the rear edge of the outer margin 17. The tile 19 is secured to the wall by adhesive in the same manner as are the tiles 12. By virtue of the extension of the tile 19 over the flanges 23, the faceplate is secured to the Wall. Throughout this application, the term adhesive is used generically and should be understood to contemplate all types of bonding agents.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a soap dish 24 is secured to the faceplate. Also, supports 26 are secured to the faceplate, with a grab-bar 27 secured to the sup ports. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the supports 26 may be used to carry a paper roller.

It should be apparent, that the entire fixture may be of one-piece construction. It may however, be more convenient in certain instances to provide a faceplate, fence, and flange, .portion of the fixture in a form of a sheet metal stamping, with the towel, paper, or grab-bar support made of a casting and secured to the faceplate by means of screws. Similarly, the soap dish, toothbrush holder, water tumbler hold-er (not shown), or supporting member for any article whatever, could also be secured to the faceplate by means of screws. An appropriate bright metal, such as chromium, may be applied to the external surfaces of the fixture.

In the installation of the fixture, an opening is provided in the wall the size of one wall tile. One wall tile is then inserted as tile .19 in the opening within the faceplate. Mastic may be applied to the rear face of the tile at this time if not already applied thereto, or may be applied to the wall surface 11 whereupon the entire fixture may, as a unit, be applied to the wall, and pressed into place.

By virtue of the large area over which the flanges 23 engage the rear or unfinished face of the tile 19, there is no danger of fracture of the tile when a load is applied to the fixture, after the adhesive has set; Therefore, a person can safely grasp the grab-bar 27 and pull himself up or support himself. 7

The facility of installation is obvious. Also the simplicity and durability of the fixture itself is apparent. It should be mentioned, moreover, that the type of tile used is not important to practice of the invention. Nor is it necessary that the material be tile, since it can be recognized that the invention could be practiced on a paneled wood wall. Similarly, the exact nature of the unfinished wml surfac 11 is not critical. The faceplate need not be planar, nor need it completely frame the wall tile 19 to be within the scope of this invention.

Therefore while the invention has been disclosed and a described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed:

1. In a building, a wall construction comprising an upstanding Wall having an unfinished face; a plurality of wall surfacing elements having finished and unfinished surfaces, with the unfinished surfaces thereof secured to the said unfinished face, said elements being disposed adjacent each other to provide a finished wall surface; a fixture having an outwardly projecting perimetrical flange providing a faceplate, an inwardly projecting flange, and a web connecting said inwardly projecting flange to said outwardly projecting flange, said outwardly projecting flange framing one of said elements and overlying portions of the finished surfaces of others of said elements surrounding said one element, said one element overlying said inwardly projecting flange, and said one element having adhesive on the unfinished surface thereof securing said one element to the unfinished face of said Wall and thereby securing said fixture to said well with said inwardly projecting flange disposed between said unfinished wall surface; a fixture having a rectangular face plate overlying portions of said pieces and having a rectangular opening therein; another piece of Wall tile identical to the pieces of said plurality and disposed in the opening in said face plate, said fixture having webs attached to said face plate and extending perpendicular to said face plate, and said fixture having a plurality of flanges, each flange being attached to one of said Webs and projecting inwardly therefrom and disposed between said unfinished face and said another piece of tile, said another piece of tile L-eing adhesively attached to said unfinished face whereby said fixture is attached to said Wall; and a support mounted on said face plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,166,672 1/16 Goldsmith 50-22 1,267,353 5/18 Baker 50-22 1,725,802 8/29 I-loegger 5022 1,966,167 7/34- Denlc 5022 2,051,381 8/36 Kivlin 50-22 2,852,932 9/58 Cable 50-338 2,357,754 10/58 Reiner-t 50-22 2,859,930 11/58 Brunsting et al 248-27 3,054,212 9/62 Morris 4528 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,435 3/96 Great Britain.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUST-TAKE, Examiner. 

1. IN A BUILDING, A WALL CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING WALL HAVING AN UNFINISHED FACE; A PLURALITY OF WALL SURFACING ELEMENTS HAVING FINISHED AND UNFINISHED SURFACES, WITH THE UNFINISHED SURFACES THEREOF SECURED TO THE SAID UNFINISHED FACE, SAID ELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A FINISHED WALL SURFACE; A FIXTURE HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PERIMETRICAL FLANGE PROVIDING A FACEPLATE, AN INWARDLY PREOJECTING FLANGE, AND A WEB CONNECTING SAID INWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE TO SAID OUTWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE, SAID OUTWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE FRAMING ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS AND OVERLYING PORTIONS OF THE FINISHED SURFACES OF OTHERS OF SAID ELEMENTS SURROUNDING SAID ONE ELEMENT, SAID ONE ELEMENT OVERLYING SAID INWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE, AND SAID ONE ELEMENT HAVING ADHESIVE ON THE UNFINISHED SURFACE THEREOF SECURING SAID ONE ELEMENT TO THE UNFINISHED FACE OF SAID WALL AND THEREBY SECURING SAID FIXTURE TO SAID WALL WITH SAID INWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID UNFINISHED FACE AND SAID ONE ELEMENT. 